Great looking car! Responsive and tight handling. RX-7's seem to be made very well and I have had very little trouble with my car. Its been very reliable and putting a little money in upgrades and cosmetics really makes it look great. I get lots of complements on my car.

Parts are expensive, mechanics are non-existant in a small towns. Cold weather and high-altitude can be problimatic it tends to make them flood on occasion and when they do it sucks!!

I bought my RX-7 5 years ago for $7000 and it had 85K miles on it. It was in perfect shape and it had all of the cosmetics of the Turbo II except the hood scoop. And being bright red really made it eye catching. Some punk a** kids decided to vandalize it severly. This lead to the realization that RX-7 parts are damn expensive. Luckly I had full coverage insurance and I got new seats, hot new paint, tinted windows. I tricked out the suspension and put on some 17" crome 5 spoke wheels with 40 series Toyo Proxies. The car is like driving a go-cart. I tell people its a cheap Porche. I have to agree with one guy who made the comment about RX-7 owners sticking together. They are a great car but I recomend them only to sports car buffs who are highly mechanical. They require a lot of knowledge to avoid problems and properly maintain them. This doesnt mean they arent reliable. My car has 170K miles on it and it looks and runs great. My car requires alot of TLC and you got to name your RX-7. RX-7 owners all know that they are females. Mines name is "Rhonda". I am currently looking for a red 3rd generation Twin Turbo RX-7 93-95 low miles prefered. I am not selling my old one! I plan on supercharging it.

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I have had a 5.0 liter Mustang. In a straight line the mustang is a much faster car than a Normally Asperated stock RX-7, but they cant corner like one. My RX-7 is much more fun drive because it is so light and nimble. If it had another 50 HP, the car would waste any stock 5.0 mustang.

Amazing handling and performance, elegant true sportscar lines. Best bang for your buck -- for $15K to $17K you will have a top-notch car that will turn heads and out-perform most other cars on the road.

Poor vacuum hose design (no clamps or tie wraps) on turbos causes them to pop off after hard driving, interior feels cheap (excluding the near-perfect seats), parts are expensive and good mechanics are hard to find. Worst of all it spoils you -- what do you upgrade to if your little Japanese sportscar can beat a 911, a Mustang, and most Camaros? I'll drive my RX-7 until I can afford a 911 Turbo.

I shopped for two months before I bought my RX-7 for $17K w/only 19K actual miles on the odometer. I have to say hands down that this is one of the most enjoyable cars I have ever driven. Its sleek lines are beautiful to even the snobbiest sportscar aficionado. I have heard stories of reliability issues but, probably thanks to the mileage, I have yet to have the first problem with mine. I was sure to buy an extended warranty, though, just in case!

The car is a pure joy to drive. Open the sunroof, roll the windows down, and find an open road and your troubles will quickly melt away. The car feels as stable at 120mph as it does at 70mph, and it'll get to 120mph pretty quickly! The low torque of the rotary engine takes a little getting used to, but once you get used to keeping it above 3000RPM it is truly amazing. On top of that it handles like a race car.

Although several interior parts feel cheap, the overall feel of the cockpit is very comfortable. Mazda did a great job duplicating Recaro seats -- they are phenomenally comfortable and supportive. Gauges are easy to read, with the tach situated right in the center. The gear shifter is placed perfectly and has a great feel, with wonderfully short throws. The pedals are spaced for easy heel-tow downshifting, but can be slippery if your shoes are wet.

I definitely recommend doing your homework before you buy, though. I didn't want a '93 due to the fact that pretty much all black interior parts had a REALLY bad peeling problem and some cars had paint chip problems. My car suffers from the former, but I could deal with it to get an engine with low miles. These cars are so easy to modify, though...you have to be careful not to buy a ragged out car some kid has ripped to shreds. Many mods are executed without upgrading the chip, resulting in too lean a mixture, overheating, or premature detonation (the #1 killer of rotary engines). Drive at least four cars before making a decision.

Overall, though, for the price you simply can't beat it. NSXs are more expensive, Supras and 300ZXs are heavier, Porsches are slower, and most American musclecars can't handle half as well.

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Various British sportscars, Porsche 944, Porsche 911, Mustang 5.0

Handling, willingness to run, looks

hard to find knowledgable mechanics

I received this car from my father who bought it new. I faithfully maintained it for years but the car sat for about 5 years. I drive the car 80 miles daily and have experienced no major problems. Presently showing 170K the car stills likes to charge forward and loves to find firebirds, camaros and others who wish to run through a 15 mile series of curves and hills. Hoping to get my hands on another, newer model.

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280Z

Handles amazing, for a 1.3L engine it really cranks out the rpm's. Take this thing all the way to red and it will just respond better. Decent on gas for a sports car, extremely comfortable interior with easy access to all controls.

This car has to be pampered. This isn't really a bad thing if you love cars, but if you looking to just pick it up and drive it you'll be diving into your wallet alot. Oil change every 1,500 miles or so. The only thing that really ticks me off is that the synchros are weak and tend to go.

I bought the car for about 1,300 US because the previous owner screwed up when installing the new engine he put in. What he did was keep the sensors form the old engine and put them in the new one. One of them was causing the engine to flood and I took a chance on it. Since fixing that problem after a month of buying it, I haven't had any problems for 2 years. The car has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution which makes for amazing cornering. It's unique yet reliable 13B rotary engine really makes this the only car I ever want to own. I simply love it! Honestly, there aren't many people out there that can say "I beat a 5.0 Mustang with my 1.3L Japanese non-turbo RX-7". The gas tank hold about 52L of gas and that lasts me about 350km on average, which isn't too bad. Basically, if you test drive one of these rockets you're not going to buy anything else.

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Toyota Celica, MR2, Corolla GTS, Integra GSR. The RX7 is worse on gas than all of the above, but can outhandle and out accelerate all of them.

It has a sleek exotic look not many cars have, a real head-turner. The twin turbo rotary engine has a lot of kick in it. Handles, accelerates, and brakes like a $80G machine.

Small wheel/tire combination. Maintaing a twin turbo rotary engine. Lightweight and stiff body makes everything rattle. Parts are expensive.

Wanna dust most cars on the road? Than buy a 3rd generation RX-7. Sure there are issues with maintance and ride, but you have to understand that you're driving a true high performance sports car. Take good care of the car and it will be reliable. I had no major problems with the car so far. This little rocket will blow you away when you get behind the wheel.

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Porsche 993. Faster than a Carrera and handles just a tight

Smooth, High Reving Rotary, Good looking body even 1st gen., Lightweight

Quality: Engine tends to let go with the water seals with less than 200k miles(equivalent to a headgasket going on a piston engine), transmissions have weak synchros and bad pilot bearing design (trannys seem to go at 100k), weak interior & exterior trim pieces (upper door trim cracks, outside window trim piece rusts), 1st Gen prone to rust, weak jack points (tend to crumble when a jack raises the car).

It's lightweight but comes at a price. For instance, the tranny on these cars are really underbuilt (probably to save weight) and requires TLC. Expect synchros, main bearings, and pilot bearing to be a source of problems for these transmissions. Only the turbo II tranny is up to the task and they are rarer than hens teeth. The sheetmetal is thin underneath and prone to rust. Do not use to jack up car because it crumples too easily. Then there is overall Mazda quality which I don't think is any better than Fords. Rotary engines are famous for overheating and coolant blow out. The design just puts out too much heat. If your 12A or 13B starts to overheat & u ignore it, expect to put in a new engine soon. Although good for high RPMs and lack of valvetrain, rotaries will always remain a novel engine because: (1)Sucks up too much gas for its size and weight. (2) The engine by design has burn oil to cool & lubricate the rotors so u must check oil level. (3) The engine itself may be simple & light but with all that crap under the hood to clean up the emissions, the difference in weight is nothing. (4) With today's high performace piston engines, rotaries have more cons than pros.

Also on quality issue is that trim pieces tend to crack, power doors (if equipped) tend to stop working, popup lights tend to seize up, and bad solder joints on Logicon, climate control, etc..

Conclusion: Has good performace potential for do-it-yourselfs, motorhead, & rotor maniacs but not for the person who just wants to drive a fun sportscar without babying their cars.

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240sx: A more reliable and better built alternative but will not perform as well due to the American 2.4L truck motors (people are beginning to swap in the stock SR20DET 250hp Japanese motors though).

Very rare and gorgeous car and attracts alot of attention. Has a perfect blend of speed and handling for it's price. Extremely fun to drive

Hard ride, but you get used to it. Slightly higher maintenance cost. Hard to find mechanic with experience in rotary engines. Engines run very hot.

This is definately one of the funnest cars to drive. Very quick on it's toes wheter it's going foward, stopping, or turning. Because of it's rarity not everyone has seen one and those who know of it's potential are just drooling when they see one.

On the maintenance side you do have to take care of it a little more than other sports cars (ie. make sure you check oil at most every 3 weeks). But if you don't rag on the car and take care of it, it won't give you problems. Mine has 89k on it and it's only maintenace problem was the 5th gear synchro.

Good piece of advice... If you want to modify the car for running, make sure you do something about those underhood temperatures. It get's REALLY HOT down there and reduces the life of any plastic/rubber parts under the hood.

Incredible looks and design. Very fast and lots of control for driver. With 255HP under the hood it definately tends to jump. I recommend 17" rims over the 16" that come stock. Improves handling and makes the car look like a viper. The car will get a lot of looks and admiration from other drivers on the road. And it can't hurt your social life either. And finally most owners of Rx-7 treat each other like family. If you buy one you will know what I mean. Kind of like when your in a boat (very friendly people).

You must change oil every 1500 miles and tends to burn fuel far more than your average Japanese machine. However, worth it for motor enthusiasts!! I would'nt own the car unless you happen to be on of the first owners. Car is easily damaged if not maintenanced properly!! So know how prior owner(s) drove the car.

Overall the car has given me an amazing experience and definately hope to keep the car forever. It is like a kids dream. I feel very fortunate in driving this machine in my youthfulk and daring years. Definately fits the defintion of being a toy. And I like to play every Saturday and Sunday. I recommend the car to anybody looking for a unique experience.

Handling, fun factor, Light Weight

Reliabilty

Fun as hell, when it runs! Handles like nothing else I know. Perfect 50/50 weight balance. But the reliablity... ugh. Engines last about 70k miles, and cost about $2500. Require tons of care and a good chunk of $. But when it runs right, oh yeah!! Take it out on a twisty road and you'll fall in love!

Fun factor, solid chassis, brakes, handling, and power.

Gas mileage, some electrical quirkiness, and hard ride.
Tranny synchros on the weak side.

New engine at 70K? I don't think so!
Warm it up nicely when cold (drive gently, don't sit and idle), keep the oil changed religiously, never let it overheat, and it can go 200,000 miles. That testimony is from a rotary mechanic with over 15 years experience.
Used Turbos are troublesome, and many have been trashed.
Unfortunate, because when running well, they are very fast!
I bought my non-turbo 2nd gen. with 105Kmiles from a retired executive, that new how to take care of machinery...It now has 122K, with original guts. New clutch and water pump is all I put in it.
It stops on a dime, and throttle response is very good.
This is non-turbo, but gives many V8s fits.
The electrics, especially heater controls is for the birds.
I love the car, it does what I want it do, and starts for me instantly after sitting around the whole work week. Rides hard and can be unforgiving if you try to make it do the impossible in fast turns, but driven sensibly can make you feel like a pro. Hey, it's what sports cars were always meant to be about.

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Old Triumph TR6